Restraint
by PsychicDreams
Summary: [Thorki, ThorxLoki]Faced with no choice, Loki is forced to capture his brother and send him back to Asgard to traitors. Now they must face the wrath of Loki Odinson as he fights to save his family with some extra help. (After Thor/The Avengers, before TDW)
1. Chapter 1

(Because this story idea wouldn't leave me, I at least chose to make a start on it to give me something to work on when Snow gets bogged down and I can't think of what to write.)

-0-

The noise outside his prison cell was what woke Loki. He slept fitfully after the torture at the hands of the Chitauri and his wounds from his time a month ago fighting on Midgard still stung here and there. Even one such as an Asgardian needed time to recover. Slowly he sat up, listening. Booted feet and they were getting closer, but it was not a gait that he recognized. There was the distinctive sound of metal against metal that he knew there was fighting going on somewhere.

Three armored men came into view and they wasted no time in dissolving one of the force fields that held him in. He stood up quickly when they didn't pause and instead grabbed him. A strange set of manacles were locked around his wrists, but there was no chain between them. What caught his eye was a deep ruby set on each band of metal.

"What—"

Before he could finish his question, a matching circle of metal was produced and it was locked around his throat like a choker, cutting off his voice. He tried repeatedly to speak, only for no sound to appear. This was not Odin's doing. Despite what he had done, the man had declared he still viewed Loki as his son and this manhandling was not his style.

Someone else entered then, a man in black and golden robes. His eyes were dark and cold, his blonde hair so light it was almost white. He didn't recognize him and that sent an uncomfortable feeling through him because he had thought he had known everyone in court, up to a point.

"I shall assume you have questions. I will answer none of them," the man said without preamble. "Know that Odin Borson has been dealt with and so has Queen Frigga. They can no longer protect you, or anyone else." His eyes widened in shock at the very idea that this man, no matter how good, could have overcome the Allfather. "No one will come to rescue you, if they'd ever cared that is."

When he made a move to lunge forward, shocks were sent his way through the restraints, a frightening tightening around his neck that threatened to cut off his breathing before settling. "Now, you have a task that you _will_ complete. Only Thor Odinson remains and he is in Midgard. You _will_ retrieve him. After all, you have no choice."

Loki almost laughed at the idea that they could somehow contain Thor. If they were truly as good as they claimed, why didn't they go to get him themselves? They would meet the back of Mjolnir as he roundly defeated them. He smirked, but it faded when another armored man appeared and handed Gungnir to the man that had spoken. Odin would never relinquish it if he had a choice. Did that mean…

He felt as if his stomach had been shredded at the very idea that Odin Borson, the Allfather, could be dead. He thought he had heard on the air that he was weak and could fall back to the Odinsleep after he'd been prematurely woken two years ago by his sons' fighting, but weak enough to kill? That couldn't be! If they had Gungnir, it was entirely possible that they _could_ contain Thor. That didn't explain, however, why they required him to do it.

As he had stated, that question remain unanswered. Instead, he was escorted from the palace. No matter how he stretched and strained, his magic remained as bound as his voice. He could not teleport or attack. He felt weak and helpless without access to that, but at the very least he had free physical mobility.

"There is just one thing," the man said as they stood at the edge of the Bifrost, Heimdall nowhere to be seen. "Queen Frigga _is_ still alive. Should you even attempt to side with Thor instead of sending him back by way of the magic in the manacles, her life is forfeit."

A fresh surge of rage went through him, that they'd _dare_ threaten his mother's life. That left him no choice but to do as they ordered. He could not, just could not, risk that they were bluffing. The Bifrost whirled to life and even as he was thrown to Midgard, Loki already knew what he had to do. He had no choice but to send Thor back if he was going to save his mother. A part of him was entirely unsettled at the thought, but he knew at least that his brother could handle whatever they might do, at least for awhile. Enough time that Loki, if he was good enough, could get back and handle the people that endangered his family.

He landed on a crowded street and the red jewel on his left wrist began to glow. Ignoring the mortals that yelled in panic, he headed east and noted that it dimmed. When he turned west, it grew stronger. That was their tracking, was it? Pathetic. He knew where Thor was and he didn't need this to tell him. It would have taken little to teleport there, but with his magic sealed, he began to run instead. They would want him as soon as possible, so Loki had faith at least that they had put him in a radius of Thor.

He supposed that it was inevitable and he sighed as he heard the sounds above him. Loki glanced up and frowned at seeing Iron Man flying above him and heading right toward him. That was a very fast response time… He ducked into an alleyway and continued to run as a screeching almost came up beside him. He grabbed the fence that blocked his way and pulled himself over it as slamming car doors was heard behind him.

"Loki, stop!"

The god looked over his shoulder and frowned at Captain America that was easily gaining on him. Damn him, not another that was as physically fit as his brother. He wasn't entirely sure how, but Loki managed to at least stay out of grabbing range as he reached the end of the alley and ran into the street, causing cars of all manners to start screeching and stopping. There was the sound of crashing behind him and the ground shook. He cursed aloud then as the green monster began to join the chase and didn't care what was in his way.

That left…

Both SHIELD agents were trying to block the street ahead of him to cut him off. The glow on his wrist was getting far stronger and he was going in the right direction. In the back of his mind he was trying to ignore the thought that they might just kill Thor the moment they had him and all he could do was hope that one of the Warriors Three or Sif was still free to stop that if Thor couldn't save himself.

He felt a wisp at his back and knew that Captain America had come within a hairsbreadth from grabbing him and he put on a burst of speed, agilely managing to dodge the two agents…barely. He had to duck the missiles that were sent his way from Iron Man and at that point, his side was really starting to complain and he was growing winded. If he didn't reach Thor soon…

Loki grinned a little in triumph at spotting his brother and he rushed forward with the last burst of speed that he had. His abrupt appearance disrupted the man's courting of Jane Foster. He showed little care as he shoved her out of the way and reached out with his right hand to grab onto the shirt Thor wore.

"Loki! What have you—"

No matter how much he tried, no words escaped him and instead, he said as best he could his apology in his eyes as the magic wrapped around Thor with golden chains. Even with his deadened magical senses, he could tell that it was paining his brother by the grunt he gave as he disappeared, thankfully Mjolnir with him.

He paused, heaving in for breath as the Avengers caught up only seconds later. He didn't have the strength to fight them because he had to conserve what he had when they came to get him. If they wanted the house of Odin dead, they'd have to have him too. He couldn't fight them with the bindings and as the Avengers surrounded him, he searched for anything that would be quick and fierce enough to at least loosen them. His eyes alighted on Barton's quiver. One of those heads could pack enough force to detonate against them. It would hurt…but he would be free.

He surprised them by rushing forward and engaging the man in hand to hand combat. It enabled him to use a dagger he had secretly purloined from one of the guards that had dragged him from the cell, cutting the strap and taking the quiver. He danced out of the way and guessed, yanking the heads out. The first one wasn't the type he wanted, but the second was, and he violently stabbed the head between his right wrist and the metal.

Loki gritted his teeth as the motion caused it to explode. Even as the blood began to flow, he spun just in time to freeze a man that had appeared behind him. Four others were with him and he grunted as one of them managed to get in a good hit and knock him down. Shocks were bursting all over his nerves and the one around his neck had clamped so tightly around his neck that it took all he had to breathe. The second arrowhead was shoved between his neck and metal just in time for it to explode and he was thrown to the side.

There was a pause, both the Avengers and the Asgardians watched to see if he was unconscious. The final, third explosion signaled no. Loki stood up slowly even as his hands were now covered in blood from his wounds and the sticky liquid was seeping under the collar of his shirt. He glared and suddenly multiple copies of himself were all over the street. Most of the mortals that had had any sense had run inside as soon as the fighting had started, but a few were still out there, including Jane Foster.

Now that he was free, he felt anger surge through him. Threatening Frigga, the possible death of Odin, and worse somehow beyond all the capture of Thor that they'd forced _him_ to do. "Enough of the chase," he and his clones whispered and they moved at once. He himself and run up behind one of them and slit his throat before he'd been aware he was even there. Ice froze a second man and threw his dagger into the eye of a third. Within seconds he had dispatched all but one and he slammed his booted foot into the neck of the one moaning on the ground as he writhed when Loki began to slowly freeze him.

"I have a message for you to deliver," he whispered, his rage quiet rather than loud like his brother's. "You tell that man that if he thinks he can destroy the house of Odin, he is _very_ mistaken." Loki leaned down, almost on one knee, and bracing his weight on that throat that struggled to work. "Tell him I _will_ return and release my family. If so much as one hair on my brother's head is _out of place_, I shall find ways to make him suffer that he isn't even aware exists and that I have very intimate knowledge of and so help him if either he or my mother is dead. May the Norns take _pity_ on the lot of you with death if my family ceases to draw breath. This is the message you'll deliver…supposing you _survive_ your journey. So says Loki Odinson!"

With his magic freed, he wrapped the almost entirely frozen man in his teleportation. He listened with something almost close to satisfaction as Asgardian began to scream in pain before he was gone. In truth, with his mind so clouded by his emotions of anger and fear, he didn't realize that it had been instinctive to say Loki Odinson instead of Laufeyson.

"What the hell is going on?!"

He looked at the Avengers that had surrounded him, watching him or glancing at the bodies on the ground. "I have no patience for you unless you were also part of the plot. How convenient that you were not there with him…"

Before they could respond, Jane had wormed her way through the circle and glared at him. "What have you done to Thor?! If you've hurt him—"

Already wrestling with the thought that he could have sent Thor to his death, Loki couldn't bear the accusation right then that he had done it willingly. Not when Frigga's very life had depended on his actions. He slapped her fiercely, sending her reeling against the female SHIELD agent. "Pathetic woman, you know nothing! You _are_ nothing, nothing but a distraction! Who do you think you are, to threaten me?! To believe you have the right to somehow know everything about Thor?!"

"Son of a bitch," Tony spat and his hand glowed, but it was the gloved hand of Captain America that stopped the bolt from firing.

"What do you mean, part of the plot? _What_ plot? What happened to Thor? Why did you send him back only to threaten those men that you would return and free him? Why send him in the first place then?"

"I have no time for you!" he spat, wrapping his magic around him as he prepared to teleport. The words 'You can't do it alone' following after him like a curse.

Just as he was about to warp through the weak world walls and return to Asgard through a passage he had discovered years ago, his emotions calmed enough to realize the wisdom of that statement. As good as he was, he _couldn't_ do it alone. There was no way he could rescue Thor and his family alone, if he assumed that there was more than a handful of guards, particularly if they were strong enough to take down the rest of his family. Then there was Gungnir…

"Damn," he hissed under his breath and changed his plan, landing instead in the middle of the room that he had been in a month ago. It brought up all manner of unpleasant memories that he tried to shrug off.

He grunted as a blast landed at his back, sending him flying forward into the sofa. Iron Man landed heavily and leveled his weapons right at his face. Loki made no attempt to stand or show a threatening position as, within moments, the rest of the Avengers rushed into the room. There was no green monster, instead the mild-mannered scientist that he'd manipulated earlier.

"Why are you here?"

He looked at the super soldier and sighed, standing despite their reaction. "In that, you were right. I cannot do it alone. My magic is not…designed for that."

"What's going on?" Natasha demanded, her gun cocked and aimed at him.

"I'm afraid I have no answers for you," he snarled, his lack of knowledge irritating him. "All I know is that I was in my cell and heard combat. Within a moment, I was bound by restraints that blocked my magic and my voice. I was told by a man that I did not know that I _would_ go to Midgard and bring Thor back and if I did not do it, they would kill my mother. Faced with the possibility that they had truly killed the Allfather, as he wielded Gungnir, and also suffocating because of the bindings, I had no choice. Your appearance turned out to be of benefit to me, enabling me to remove the restraints."

"Speaking of that, you should really get that looked at," Banner said after a minute, gesturing to his neck and wrists.

"It is of little consequence. I will heal. Right now there are greater concerns."

"So you're planning on bringing Thor back?!"

Oh that voice… Loki's eye twitched viciously at seeing Jane Foster in the back. The left side of her face looked like it would bruise a bit with how hard he had hit her. What right did she think she had to be here? Or did they bring her there just to assure themselves that she was fine? Her _voice_ was in working order and he found himself wishing he had kept that collar to shove it on her. He had never really given her much thought before, but the worse Thor's infatuation with her became, the more he disliked her.

"I believe I explained that it is of _no_ concern of yours."

"Look, you—"

"On topic people!" Steve demanded. "So do you have a plan?"

"I plan to return and find my family. Of paramount is to find out whether or not Thor and the Allfather are still alive, and rescue my mother."

"So you don't think of them as coldly as you say."

"What?" he said, blinking at scientist that wore just a pair of pants he had purloined from somewhere.

There was a pause and the man shook his head. "Never mind. Something for later. When are you planning on going?"

"As soon as _you_ are ready." This time it was their time for a collective 'what'. Loki smirked. "You were the ones that said that I could not do it alone. I assumed that that meant you would be volunteering. Or would you leave Thor to his fate?"

"We're going," the super soldier said staunchly.

"Good," he said and wrapped his magic around everyone but Jane before they could change their mind. He would make those men regret their decision intimately.


	2. Chapter 2

He landed them in a small wooded area. It was a little further out than the city, but that was the cost of using his ways in and out of worlds. They were dangerous and he was lucky that they had not landed in the ocean or worse, impaled on sharp rocks. He crouched down, hissing at the surprised mortals to be quiet. He had to be careful here because they knew the telltale feels of his magic. He dared not use it carelessly. Loki tentatively tested and cursed as he felt a barrier pressing against his senses that would prevent his teleportation. It would take him weeks to unravel magically. His choice of bringing the Avengers had been wiser than he'd even known since he would _have_ to do this the hard way.

His green eyes flickered to the Bifrost, but it seemed darker and colder. Was Heimdall there? Unlikely, as there was no warrior more committed to the line of Odin than him. Despite his occasional sharp words, Heimdall had even treated him fairly until things had spiraled to hell with Thor's banishment two years ago.

"Where are we?" Natasha asked, whispering.

"Too far away," he said grimly and cautiously led them along the path. He saw no one in front of them, but the nearby gate into the city was closed. It was bright daylight; if they were going to scale the wall, or in the genius' case fly over it, it would have to be at night or they risked blowing everything before it had even begun.

"We'll have to wait until nightfall," Barton said, eerily seeming to read his thoughts.

Loki nodded, sitting on the grass abruptly. This was as good a place as any to wait, he supposed. Was Thor still alive? For all his words before, the thought that his brother was dead was unsettling and unpleasant. If anyone was to kill him, it had to be him. His thoughts, seemingly skittish, shied away from his brother and moved on to the more pressing questions. Where had this man even come from? What had been going on in the past two years that he had not been around to see? This wouldn't have happened if he'd been there!

"Why are you doing this?"

The abrupt words from Tony Stark startled him from his introspection. "What?"

"You've tried to kill him how many times now? Why should this matter? You seem awfully upset for someone that's claimed over and over that they aren't family."

"My reasons are my own. I am not obligated to share them with you," he spat, trying to ignore that he had been thinking the same thing.

"You know what I think? I think you _do_ think of him as family and this is just a stupid childish resentment against him, thinking that the world should be nice to you. That it owes you something."

It took more strength than any of the Avengers would ever know to resist impaling Tony Stark on a spear of ice. How dare this man make light of what he had gone through, the darkness that had surrounded him as he grew up. He had not chosen what had happened, but after listening to the whispers, the taunts, the disdain for thousands of years, how else was he supposed to react? Loki had focused on a single goal for his entire life: make Odin proud. When it had seemed as if he'd failed that, he had been unable to hold his head up even once. He'd given up, because what else was there if even his own father had turned against him?

Tony was smirking in triumph, but when he opened his mouth to spew whatever greater invectives he held, Barton put his hand on his shoulder to stop him. Loki's green eyes met that of the genius' and he wondered if he appeared as murderous as he felt because whatever else he might have said died on his lips.

"Do not tempt my control," he whispered, deceptively sounding calm. "I am worse than my brother in ways you cannot even imagine. You know nothing of my life or who I am. The only reason you are here is I _need_ you for Thor. Do you understand? I do not desire you here and your presence is more than just an annoyance to me. I will put up with you, but if you mention again, even once, that I am childish and refer to my youth, I will stop even your metal heart cold."

"What, you were expecting us to treat you nicely?"

"I don't care if you treat me nicely," he replied to Tony's snarl. "I don't even care if you hate me. What you feel for me _doesn't matter_. So long as you keep it to yourself, you are free to hate me to your heart's content. I'm not interested in anything other than revenge on the men that presume they can hurt my family."

He leaned back against the tree behind him and closed his eyes, reveling in the silence that surrounded them.

-0-

"_Loki!"_

_Loki grinned before he could help it, hearing his brother thunder toward him from behind. He remained on the balcony, looking down at the courtyard and braced himself. He grunted just a bit as Thor grabbed him tightly from behind. Arms wrapped around his waist and he was yanked to a firm chest. "Brother dear," he said with a slight gasp as his air was knocked from his lungs, "while I appreciate your enthusiasm, you are aware of the picture this makes. Or did you intend to play a prank on everyone by making it seem as if we are intimate?"_

"_But we are intimate," Thor replied._

"_As usual, you fail to realize what I meant. Did you want others to think that I share your bed?"_

"_They would not think that!"_

"…_Perhaps not," was all he would say on the matter. "Did you need something?"_

"_Need something? Loki, you've returned! Your absence was heavy and I missed you!"_

"_I was gone for a mere three months," he said, mock-complaining, even though he was __**reveling**__ in knowing that Thor had wanted to see him, had noticed when he was gone on his training._

"_How was it? Was it everything you hoped for? Did you learn anything?"_

"_Yes, dear brother, it was wonderful. The magic flowed freely there, pure and powerful. I learned so much and I ache to return to learn more."_

"_You are not planning on leaving again soon, are you?"_

_Loki looked to the side at his brother's face as it hovered next to his, the arms warm and comforting around him. Honestly, so long as he had his brother, mother, and father, it didn't matter what anyone said. He didn't care what they called him or how they treated him because the three most important people in his life were all that mattered. "No, not soon," he reassured._

_Thor's concerned face lifted with its charming grin. "Then come, we must drink and toast to your return!"_

"_I will…on one condition."_

"_Always with your conditions… Very well, what is it?"_

"_I do not want a large gathering, Thor. In fact, I would prefer solitude, just you and I if you insist on drinking. I wish to __**relax**__ now that I've returned."_

"_My celebrations do not relax you?"_

"_With a hundred to three hundred men present bellowing their accomplishments in battle? No, most definitely not." He idly rested his hand over the linked ones of his brother at his waist. Just a simple touch, a simple reminder that he had been gone, and he knew Thor would give in. It wasn't that Loki felt a great deal of enjoyment at manipulating his brother, but that if he didn't do it, it was likely he'd never get what he wanted._

_Thor sighed, but smiled and squeezed him. Loki let out a huff of air as the motion caused his lungs to empty, and he grunted as Thor, in a playful manner, lifted him off his feet. "Very well, we will drink in my room until the sun starts to rise in the horizon and we are both so drunk our memories will flee from us!"_

_Loki laughed despite having no breath._

He jerked awake with a quiet gasp. He had…forgotten…how happy he'd been back then. Before he'd known he was Jotun, before there had been any emphasis on who was to be king, things had been good. Despite the distance he had felt in himself between him and Thor on that fateful coronation day, he had spoken the absolute truth: he loved Thor dearly and had been happy for him, despite his own resentment. He could still remember the cheeky smile and wink Thor had given him as he'd knelt, almost as if he were maiden, and he'd had to look down to keep from grinning back. It had been…_fun_ then. When was the last time he'd had fun?

Something was dropped on his knee and he glanced down at a…handkerchief? Narrowing his gaze, he looked up at Banner, who sat down next to him without a word. It was not dark enough to scale the wall yet, but the sun had fallen. He didn't even realize what the cloth was for until Banner tapped at the corner of his own eye. Loki stiffened as he realized, by the feeling of his cheeks and eyes, that he had cried in his sleep.

Angered beyond belief, he scrubbed at his face with his hands, refusing to use the cloth. Loki hadn't been prepared for a memory, and he wasn't even sure why it had come to mind other than his fear that he had sent Thor to his death.

"You're really worried about them, aren't you? Your family?"

There was no condemnation in Banner's voice, just soft concern. "Does it matter?" he hissed, not wanting to draw the others into the conversation. The two SHIELD agents were asleep, even the genius seemed to be napping, but the super soldier was still awake, standing guard on the perimeter.

"Maybe to some," he replied softly.

"But not to any of you," he hissed back.

Instead of responding, Bruce seemed to think about it and commented, "Thor told me once that you and he were very close until recently. He says that the distance that formed between you two was mostly his fault." Their eyes met. "He said that if you'd shown even a hint that you wanted redemption, or could be saved, he'd drop everything to do it. I don't think that he thought you'd do the same for him."

"What makes you think—"

"We're here, aren't we? _You're_ here."

"Do not attempt to play mind games with me," he spat.

"I'm not," the scientist protested. "I just wanted to know how you felt about it, that's all."

He studied the man mistrustfully and stood up. He rolled his shoulders once and turned, pausing when he glanced down at his hands. His wrists and neck were bandaged. Someone had wrapped some cloth they'd cut from his tunic around them, despite the fact that he'd told them before that they would heal on their own. His eye twitched and he looked at them all suspiciously. What was their game?

Loki spun on his heel and stalked toward the super soldier, who turned to watch him warily.

"I haven't seen any guards patrolling up on the walls."

"They'll be some on the ground," he said, his mouth a grim line. "I cannot properly plan like this." He turned to him. "I need you to wait here. I'll sneak in and then return."

"You're not going alone and leaving us here," said a voice behind him, gruff with sleep.

He glared at the genius that had woken up, the two SHIELD agents looking disgustingly awake despite their sleep only moments before. "Then explain to me how _you_ are going to understand the best method to sneak past them into the palace? Your suggestion that you should go instead _surely_ must mean you have _thousands of years experience_ of the layout of this city, correct?"

"He's right, Tony," Steve said with an even grimmer frown. "We don't know this place and he does. I know he'll be back for us."

"What makes you so confident of that?"

"Because if he doesn't, what was the point of bringing us? He _needs_ us. What good are we to his plans if he doesn't come back?"

"Amazing, there is a brain cell among the lot of you," Loki said and dashed out in the darkness toward the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki slipped through the shadows, hiding behind pillars and boxes and whatever else happened to be there as he counted guards. Patrolling in pairs and an hour before the guard changed to keep them fresh and pay attention. This man was really leaving nothing to chance then. Still, no matter what his planning, it could only do so much with the guards themselves. These men were not trained to be guardsmen, they were merely warriors obeying orders. They didn't check behind anything, just glanced around them to see if anything untoward was there.

He tugged off his shoes and hid them in an alcove to help keep himself quiet, since he dared not use his magic right then. No matter what he had done in the past two years, he had always been known as the prince of magic; everyone would be aware of the feel of it and for the first time, he mentally cursed that he'd been so free with it before.

Quietly he slunk toward the palace. The gates were closed, but he headed around a side entrance. Rather than go in the servant's door, he crawled in through a window and was rewarded for his forethought. A warrior sat on a stool, snoring, as he braced his weight back against the door he was supposed to be guarding. Silent as a shadow, he crouched and almost crawled along the ground through the palace.

Because of the lack of places to hide, he was forced to take side paths around larger rooms like the throne room. He wanted to go there, to find the man that had started all this and learn of his plans, his name, or kill him, but he dared not in case there were tactics in place for his untimely death. No, he would have to free his family first before he could confront him.

The first place he went was his own rooms and they weren't even locked. He could see why when he looked around: it had been ransacked. Knowing his mother, and even Thor, this couldn't have happened until after the coup, because they would have kept it in pristine condition. They were like that, their sentiment. Still, they wouldn't have found anything of use because most of what he prized was hidden away.

Loki slid beneath the heavy bed and nudged, managing to remove a heavy stone brick. Underneath it was an enchanted dagger, a small staff, and a few throwing stars that had been given to him by Hogun once, a lifetime ago, on his birthday. It was probably the only thoughtful present any of the Warriors Three had ever gifted to him.

Squirming back out, he slid to a locked chest they hadn't been able to open and pulled out some leather armor. It felt familiar and comforting as he put it on. It was older, not the one that he usually wore to official functions or actual battle anymore, but that didn't mean it wasn't still serviceable. Despite his concern being heard, he pulled and laced on his boots.

The helmet would draw too much attention, so he left it behind on the floor where he found it. His next destination was his parents' room, but his neither his mother nor Odin was there. There was the residue of magic, of the Odinsleep, still present near the bed, but no blood. They might have gotten Gungnir, but it was not because they killed the Allfather. There would be no reason to move the body to kill him elsewhere, so he must not be dead.

This left him with a choice: he couldn't stay too long, he had to get back, but did he look for Thor or Frigga? If he didn't find Thor, it would delay freeing him at least another day, but he could free his mother. On the other hand, if he freed Frigga, it would be immediately noticeable and the patrols would be increased and the man would know. He'd never get to Thor in time.

Loki dropped on the edge of his parent's bed, bracing his forehead in his hands. What did he choose? If he freed even one of them, it would alert their captor that he was here and he'd be risking the life of the person he left behind. The thoughts whirled in his head and after a minute, he sent a prayer, an apology, to his mother. He needed Thor to help him for the assault to free her; after all, his stubborn, idiotic brother was far more useful in combat.

So instead of heading deeper and higher into the palace, he turned and went lower. First he would check the dungeons. They were not as heavily guarded as he had expected and his eyes narrowed mistrustfully. Why? Did that mean Thor wasn't bound there? Loki considered turning around, but he was almost to the cells, so why not continue?

There were no other prisoners there; did his enemy let them out? Probably. Cautiously he approached his former cell. It was just like he'd left it except that there was a chain now hanging from the ceiling that hadn't been there before. He frowned grimly. He didn't see Mjolnir, but something in the pit of his stomach said that this was where they were keeping Thor. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the spots on the floor that he could barely see were blood, and they were fresh.

Why wasn't Thor there, though? That must be why the guards were light. He had been taken out of the cell, but for what purpose? To torture him? That was hardly necessary. Did they use Gungnir to weaken him or attack him? Part of Loki was disappointed because he had rather hoped to have a chance to assess his brother's condition before he was forced to bring the Avengers in.

Knowing now where he had to go, Loki hurried back out and from the palace, jumping out the window just in time as guards were changing places. He slipped behind a pile of boxes as he made his way back to the wall, climbing over it with little difficulty and dropping down on the other side. He braced himself for a landing with the ground, preparing his ankles for the impact, but grunted as he was caught. The Captain looked at him and shrugged at his glare, setting him down immediately on his feet. "Didn't want you to break a leg."

"I'm honored," he sneered, "however, I am _far_ sturdier than most of you mortals."

"What did you find?" Bruce asked as the rest quickly joined the two before they could start an argument.

"Thor is being kept in the dungeon, in my former cell and I'm sure that the irony was chosen specifically to torment him. He wasn't there, though; they took him for some purpose. I don't believe the Allfather is dead. There was no blood in the room, but also no sign of my mother. The guard changes hourly, but they are untrained in the way guards usually are to _look behind things_ if they're checking to make sure no one has infiltrated. It should be simple to slip past them."

"Am I the only one that doesn't like the idea of him carrying weapons?" Stark muttered, gesturing to him.

"It's a necessity, Tony. He's got to have something," Bruce defended gently.

Not that Loki wanted his defense at all. "I fail spectacularly to care what you like."

"Are we going to be able to get to him tonight?"

He shook his head at the Russian agent. "It took too much time to observe the routines, what manner in which the guards are rotated, and when and then to infiltrate the palace and find where they have been keeping Thor. It will be too light by the time we reach the palace itself, much less release him."

"Great. More thrilling heroics in waiting!"

Loki rolled his eyes and resumed his place against the tree. He crossed his legs and was about to meditate, trying to focus on the mental layout of the palace to find the best route out just in case stealth failed, when the drawl of the super soldier interrupted his thoughts. "How much older is Thor than you?"

"A few years."

"Were you close?"

"Why do you ask?" he returned with narrowed eyes.

"Because I wanted to know. There's nothing else to do for a few hours at least."

Surely they could talk amongst themselves? The better question would be to ask him the layout of the palace and grounds, but it was too massive to be explained in a few short hours and if he chose to only show what he hoped they could use, they would be lost if he had to stay behind for some reason. Pursing his lips, he picked up a stick and began to dig in the sand, drawing lines.

"Rather than talk about the imbecilic nature of my brother, I will show you most of the palace. Try to remember it in case it becomes necessary to separate."

"You're anticipating a separation?" Barton asked, crouching down next to him with his eyes on the disturbed dirt.

"It is far best to plan ahead than get caught unawares. I cannot assume any of you will be competent enough to follow my path in stealth." He looked specifically at Stark and Banner. "Nor can I assume that there won't be complications."

"Like you getting killed?"

"Oh, I will not die unless I'm taking that man with me," he said resolutely with a growl. "Now, these are the wings of the palace where the royal family lives…" He painstakingly went through each floor, each area, and assuring they understood all the exit locations.

As he detailed the garden, he was surprised when the widow said, "Oh, so that's where it was."

"What?"

"Thor told me a story when he was drunk about him and the garden. You were there too."

"Did the story involve rain?"

"Yes."

Loki gave an expressive roll of his eyes. "Oh, that old story."

"What old story?"

He glanced at Steve, then at the others, and noted much to his frustration that they were looking interested as well. Tapping his fingers in irritation, he leaned back and said, "No doubt Thor has embellished the tale considerably…" he muttered, mind automatically replaying the scene for him.

_Loki looked out from his spot under an overhang at his brother, currently lying on his back in the rain amid the flowers, the moon shining down without seeming to have a care in the world. Thor was laughing, not seeming to care that the rain was falling into his mouth. Mjolnir was in the mud next to him and Loki sighed, lifting his cloak over his head before going to his side. "What are you doing out here, Thor?"_

"_Enjoying the thunderstorm, brother. Come join me."_

"_No, thank you."_

_Thor's eyes sparkled up at him and before he could register what he was doing, his brother's arm had lashed out and tripped him at the ankles, tossing him onto his back. He grunted as the air was thrown out of his lungs and Loki blinked repeatedly at the drops as they landed on his face before he could help it._

_He was about to lift his hand to shield his face when it was done for him by Thor's body. His laughing brother had turned, bracing himself over top him so the hair landed on the back of his head. His hair fell on either side of his face, acting almost like a ditch to drain the water to either side of his head. "How old are you again, Thor?" he griped a bit, but wasn't overly put out. He crossed his arms over his chest despite the mud that coated his back and now hair as it lay in the wet dirt._

"_Old enough to remember how to have fun."_

"_Thunderstorms always do this to you. You have never acted more childish in the last two thousand years as you do when it rains."_

"_Don't you love it too, brother? The cold water, the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning washing away the heat of the day and all your cares. I love it. Stay and enjoy the storm with me. Understand why I love it."_

_It was the first time Thor had ever asked him to understand something about him; most of the time he didn't have to because Loki just understood. Perhaps it was his connection with Mjolnir that led him to such fascination. He didn't know, but he did enjoy the cold, wet breeze over the stifling heat of the midday."Mother sent me to bring you in."_

"_And I ask you to stay. What will you do, Loki?"_

_He wanted to push his brother off and stalk inside just to spite the look in Thor's eyes because Thor __**knew**__ he would stay. Loki let out a grumble, but couldn't do it. "I'll stay, but you must remain where you are."_

"_What?" the man said with laughter in his voice._

"_If I'm to stay out here, I require you to remain where you are and shield me from the worst of the rain."_

_Thor let out a heavy laugh that was so bright that it made Loki decide maybe a little rain wouldn't hurt. _

"Well?"

"Ask Thor when we release him," Loki said instead, not willing to share such an intimate moment with anyone. "Now I suggest you rest. We will return at nightfall for the assault."


	4. Chapter 4

(Note: I don't dislike the Warrior's Three and Sif, I'd like to preface this by saying, but this fic is not going to be very kind to them. I'm not deliberately trying to make them look bad on purpose, but they won't come out looking good either.)

Loki landed on the inside of the wall and waited for the rest of the Avengers to follow before he half-ran in a crouch to the kitchen window. He was itching, itching to get moving and rescue Thor. The waiting had been almost painful by that point and he didn't even know why. Something was burning in his chest, telling him to get moving. The sooner he released his brother, the sooner they could rescue his mother and kill the bastard that had attempted to eradicate the house of Odin.

He signaled for them to wait as he dove into the room in one smooth role. Silent as he was, he hadn't woken the guard and he snuck up, pulling out his dagger and slicing his throat without a sound. He kicked the body off the stool and opened the door to let the others in, as the only ones he could count on being silent through the window would be the two SHIELD agents.

He winced at hearing the sound of the iron suit against the floor and he glanced around, but no one had come. They were never going to make it to the dungeons with that noise alerting every presence. It was a set of armor that was just not designed for stealth.

"Did you have to kill him?"

"Yes," he said flatly to the captain without looking at him. "Hold still."

"What are you doing?" Stark demanded, stepping back, but he ignored it. The spell weaved around the man and he hated to do it, his magic would no doubt be like a beacon to the men he wanted to avoid right then, but he had no choice. Better now and have a chance than have to fight all the way through the palace.

"I made you silent. We can't make it anywhere with the sounds you were making. Now follow me, or stay behind. I don't care which."

Not surprisingly they all elected to follow him and he led the quickest way down to the dungeons. There were quite a few more guards here than there had been the night before, which likely meant that Thor was in his cell. Like a sleek cat, he moved forward quickly and with a few strategic strikes, killed one guard. Another was grabbed and choked to unconsciousness by the patriotic soldier. Barton took out a third, leaving them a clear path.

Loki hurried to the cell and slid to a stop. He could hear the Avengers coming up behind him, but he only had eyes for his brother. His strong sibling was kneeling on the floor, arms held to the sides with a board against his back, that which was suspended from a chain in the ceiling. So that's what they had used it for. There were heavy bruises on his skin and he could see cuts that were healing. His armor was nowhere to be found; instead he wore a pair of ratty clothes.

Although his mind said it could have been a lot worse, an all consuming rage had spread through his bloodstream. He ignored the gasp from someone behind him and the muttered question of how they released Thor. Was he even awake? He braced his hands against the forcefield and damned it all to hell, he didn't care if his magic would alert the rest of the palace. He was _not_ leaving Thor like this.

He gathered all he could to his fingertips until it strained to hold so much magic before he let it out in a soundless blast. The barrier, meant for Loki, held strong and he did it again, and again, until after the third consecutive blast, it shattered. He wasn't sure if it was respect or something else that held the Avengers back as he stepped into the cell and knelt on one knee.

His presence seemed to jog something because finally Thor's head moved, lifted, and the exhaustion and pain in his eyes were dulling the life in those blue orbs. "Loki…?"

Some rage that he could barely control burned in his fingertips and heart and he jerked to his feet. Rather than doing what he had originally planned, which was having one of the Avengers break the chains, he gripped them himself. From his hands his ice spread, encasing link after link until he had covered at least six and felt the magic penetrate into the very foundation of the metal. A few good hits with his dagger and they shattered.

Thor's shoulders slumped immediately and his head fell forward, bracing against Loki's thigh. Loki remained still, allowing the man to breathe in relief. Slowly he let one hand rest in his blonde hair before reaching for the manacles that held his wrists to the wood. At first he held his magic back, waiting until Thor looked up at him. It was going to hurt, his eyes warned, because he would have to encase his whole hand.

A soft nod assured him that his ability to communicate with Thor without words was still intact. He repeated the process, ignoring the grunt of pain, and finally they broke just as had their counterparts. Thor fell forward again, bracing himself weakly against the floor. How had this happened? What had the man done with Gungnir to weaken Thor this way?

"Get him. We're leaving," he growled. Thor's condition made it impossible to consider doing an immediate assault against the man that had started all this.

Captain America and Banner quickly took each arm and helped Thor to his feet. There was a bit more sense coming to his brother's eyes and he wondered if there had been an enchantment on the metal that he hadn't noticed in his anger. "Loki—"

Loki didn't want to hear it, not sure what Thor was going to say, and he hurried them out of the dungeon. There was no point in being subtle anymore. He could hear the sounds of booted feet nearby. "Get ready to fight," he warned. His display of magic had been like a beacon and as soon as he had thrown open the door to leave, four warriors rushed them. He took out one, the two SHIELD agents had one of their own and Iron Man the last. It was over in seconds.

Despite no more need for subtlety, Loki didn't dare risk going out the front door. There would be too many people to take on and he quickly chose a secondary route. It led through tighter corridors which he didn't like since only two could walk abreast, but if that was the way it had to be, then so be it. He half-ran them through, coming to crossroads. The area to his left had a short staircase that led out to a long, wide balcony and he headed for it immediately before he found himself thrown against a pillar.

Moaning a bit in pain, Loki shook his head and looked up, feeling a shudder go through him.

"Hey, isn't that—"

"The Destroyer," he supplied at the genius and threw a spear of ice to throw off its aim. It stumbled back and he yelled, "Get moving!" Damn, he hadn't had the time to explain the exits of this section of palace that was fairly unused.

"We're not leaving you here!" argued the soldier as the female SHIELD agent fired a few shots at the Destroyer.

"You don't have a choice!"

A voice from behind him on the balcony, gasped in outrage, made him turn. "Loki!"

Sif, and the Warrior's Three. "For the first time, you have decent timing," he growled and reached out, grabbing the nearest Avenger, which turned out to Barton, and shoved him toward them, forcing the man to stumble. "Follow them!" he commanded.

"I'm not leaving you," Captain America insisted as Barton began to maneuver the still weak Thor.

"You don't have a choice," he spat as he met every one of the Destroyer's blasts with ice sheets. "I'm ordering you to take Thor out of here! They'll lead the way out. Won't you?" he added, glaring at Sif and the three other warriors _demanding _their obedience with his eyes. He didn't care what they felt for him, he would not be disobeyed when something so important was going on.

Much to his surprise, there were almost respectful nods. Sif reached out to touch Thor, but the two Avengers didn't let him go. Loki ducked under a sweep of the Destroyer's hand and mentally groaned at seeing some men round the corner at a run from the right as he stood blocking the only way down the steps to the balcony, placing himself between any that would come after Thor. He coated the floor with sheer, thick ice, causing them to slip and fall.

"Go with them, patriot," he growled, meeting the man's rebellious eyes. "There's going to be too much fighting ahead of you as it is and you'll need all the warriors you can get. Trust me, I _won't_ fall in battle."

"We could never be so lucky," Fandral muttered.

Banner glared at the blonde-haired man and said tensely, "Rather than insult someone, shall we at least get Thor to safety?"

Loki didn't have time to spare the defense of him from the scientist, too busy distracting the Destroyer that was pretty much destroying the entire hallway. He heard Sif command them to follow her and he felt them leave one by one. Stark stayed as the last one, watching him, but he too left, this time through the sky right next to those running on the balcony.

Allowed now to give his full attention to the situation, he disregarded using clones and mirror images because it wouldn't affect the Destroyer and the soldiers weren't dumb enough to not to pay attention to where the monstrous creation was aiming at. He just had to make sure that he gave the others time enough to get Thor out before he could make his escape.

The trickster ducked under a chunk of falling pillar and attempted to freeze the legs of the Destroyer. It did pause him enough and he had a moment of triumph before he caught a blast of red right from the face of the thing and he was thrown back. He spit out a bit of blood as he slammed into one of the decorative pillars of the balcony and he managed to remain on the balcony as the force of the slam knocked said pillar off, falling down a sheer cliff.

As he struggled up, some of the soldiers had managed to get down the stairs and he pulled out his daggers. Close combat it was then.

-0-

Thor struggled weakly as his friends laid him down on a bed in a small one room home. He'd listened to Sif's explanation that herself and the Warrior's Three had managed to escape and were part of a resistance, but only with his half his attention. "You must go back for Loki," he growled at the captain that had discarded his mask, letting it fall behind his neck. With how the magic and torture had drained him, and without Mjolnir, he wouldn't be any good. That didn't mean he was going to let his brother die.

"He insisted on staying behind; let us honor his words," Fandral said, touching his shoulder, but Thor shrugged it away angrily.

"That isn't why you refuse to return!" he spat.

"Thor!"

Ignoring the angry and admonishing tone of Sif, he turned in supplicant to the Avengers. He had no spare time to question why they were even there. "Please, my friends, save Loki."

"I'll go back," Rogers assured. "I swear I'll get him back."

"And I'll go with him," Stark added, grabbing his helmet from the table.

"You're risking bringing soldiers here with you," Hogun told them. "We have to thank Loki that he stopped those coming behind us so that we could hide here while Thor recovers."

It was the first time that Thor had ever heard Hogun actually praise his brother and he flashed a relieved, thankful smile, but the warrior merely nodded back. "You'll never get in without one of us to guide you and I won't risk Thor's life by doing so and bringing you back," Sif said staunchly.

It inflamed Thor that those he had grown up with were willing to let Loki when he'd clearly risked his very life to save his own. Those were not the actions of a man that was unredeemable. "Then I will show them the way," he growled, forcing himself to sit up.

"Oh shut up, all of you!"

Several whirled as the door was thrown open. "Loki!"

Loki was clutching his stomach as he leaned in the doorway, trailing blood, and his armor and shirt had been shredded. It barely covered his chest, and he wobbled dangerously. Banner reached out and caught his brother when he attempted to walk without support and almost fell. More hands moved to help and dragged the trickster to a chair, sitting him down in it.

Thor didn't care how badly he hurt, he was on his feet and at his brother's side in an instant. The Avengers hovered around, and it actually hurt him a bit to see that Sif and the Warriors Three remained apart, not approaching. "Loki. Loki, how badly are you hurt?"

He moved his hands from his stomach and Thor winced. A piece of a sword was clearly thrust in, but not exiting through the back. "A cork," the dark-haired man gasped. "If I removed it, I'd just bleed out. We need to pull it out, then cauterize it."

He glanced at the fireplace, but there was no wood to light a fire unless they wanted to destroy the furniture and that would draw too much attention. "Banner, please, the poker. Stark, do your weapons emit heat?"

Iron Man blinked and looked at the jets on his hands. "Well, they do, yes—"

"Then make the end of the poker as hot as you can."

"You're not seriously thinking of doing what I think you are…"

"You have a better idea?" Loki spat.

"Yeah, a hospital!"

"Please…enlighten me…as to where we can go…for that right now?"

"Loki does not have the time to find a healer," Thor said grimly. Loki was still losing blood regardless of whether the blade itself was holding most of it in. "Please."

It was Barton that interrupted. "Let's not use the poker, god knows what it's got on the end. My arrowheads are at least _sterile_."

"Hurry then!" he ordered impatiently. "It does not matter what it is, so long as it is metal!"

After a short conference with Natasha, she produced a clean dagger and handed it to Tony. The man seemed a little green about what was going to happen, but he ignited the booster on his left palm and held the dagger over it with his right.

"Loki?" he asked, bracing himself against the chair with one hand to steady himself.

"What?"

The hissed, angry word at least assured him that he wasn't going to pass out. "You will be all right, I promise."

"As if you should even care."

"Should I not care when you cared enough to rescue me?" Their eyes met, pained green to Thor's serious blue. "I could see what you were trying to tell me when you sent me back to Asgard. You didn't want to, did you?"

"I think it's hot enough," Tony muttered.

Thor didn't even look behind him and instead, gripped the broken blade and not caring that it was cutting into his own palm. He didn't stop talking, fighting to keep a calm tone. "I told myself that my hope that you were the same man I grew up with was gone, but it looks as if that isn't true. I'm remain as foolishly hopeful as ever."

"At least you acknowledge it," Loki muttered.

"Bite down, Loki."

"On _what_ exactly, Thor?"

He looked around, but Barton was already ready, pulling the leather belt from his quiver and holding it out. Loki wrinkled his nose, but opened his mouth and bit down on it hard. There would be indents left in it. Banner took one of his brother's hand just as Thor yanked it out without warning. There was the sound of pure pain, a keening, muffled sound that almost sounded like a whimpered cry. The dagger was thrust into his hand and he pressed the heated blade against the now freely bleeding wound.

Loki screamed around the metal and Thor buried his face in the man's black hair. It was painful enough, he knew, but his brother was also Jotun and the heat was likely making it even worse. Loki's free hand gripped his shirt, but neither cared that he was tearing it. The smell of his flesh burning as the wound was cauterized was unpleasant and there was a gagging sound behind him.

Finally, sure of the closed wound, Thor pulled the knife away. He wasn't sure who took it from him, but he quickly used that hand to dive into the hair on the other side of Loki's face, holding the man's face against his shoulder. He felt the shudders going through his brother and he would help protect his dignity as he let out an undignified cry. If there were tears, he would help cover them. "Rest, Loki."

He knew his words would be ignored and they were, as Loki remained stiff as he struggled to remain awake, but Thor hadn't expected anything different. "Move him to the bed."

"Thor, you should be the one resting!"

He glared at Sif. "Loki has more need of it than I!" Thor stepped back and allowed Rogers and Stark to step forward, each taking an arm and a knee, carrying him over and resting him on the bed. He didn't waste a moment in sitting on the edge near his brother's hip.

"The Destroyer is dead," the man muttered with a soft, pained gasp.

"How could you defeat the Destroyer?" Fandral asked skeptically.

"Are you insinuating I'm lying?"

Loki's voice was seemingly calm, but Thor didn't believe that he was for one minute. He glanced sharply at the blonde-haired warrior, who shifted, but at least met his eyes. "Fandral—"

"Okay, let's settle this right now," Rogers said, masterfully keeping his face neutral. "Nobody is sure about Loki right now, about where he stands or what side he's on, or in fact, anything, but we've all got to acknowledge that Loki was severely injured because he stayed behind to cover our escape. Without proof that he's lying, I'm going to believe him when he says he killed that thing. The main thing is that Loki is now injured and he needs to recover, Thor is free, and we have a safehouse for the time being to let them heal up. Arguing is not going to help. So why don't you explain what you were doing there?"

Sif, as she has always done, took over the explanations before anyone could think to respond. "We were there to rescue Thor. We'd heard he was being kept in the dungeon. The resistance was going to stage a distraction to let us slip inside when a commotion occurred. We didn't know what was going on, but decided to take advantage of it anyway. We didn't expect to see _Loki_. Now, might you explain who _you_ are?"

"We're the Avengers, from Earth. We were there when Loki grabbed Thor."

"Why didn't you stop him?"

Rogers frowned at Hogun. "We _tried_. We were within inches of grabbing him, but didn't make it in time."

"What happened to Jane?" Thor asked and blinked as he noticed Loki was glaring at him fiercely.

"She's fine, apart from a big bruise."

"Bruise?"

"Well, Loki smacked her one hard."

Thor returned the glare now. "Loki!"

"You defend her, but I fail to see why!" the man hissed. "She was demanding of me, as if she had any right! I did not send you back by _choice_, Thor! I refused to gamble with Frigga's life and to be demanded answers by someone who doesn't deserve you is infuriating!"

Thor stared at him. It hadn't occurred to him that Loki would have a specific reason to dislike Jane other than that she was from Midgard. "Loki… Why do you—"

"She is _inferior_ in every way, Thor! She'll die in the blink of an eye compared to us and how do you know that her _affections_ are not merely fascination because you are from Asgard?! When has she ever asked anything about _you_, instead of Asgard or the tree?! Has she asked anything about your childhood? Has she ever acknowledged that I exist, because I am an indelible part of _your _life?! You spent a mere _three days_ with her before you did not see her for two years! No matter how much you have Heimdall watch her, did you have a burning feeling to return to _her_ or to Midgard?!"

Thor shifted at that question because the answer was not so much Jane, but Midgard itself. Everything that Loki pointed out was…true. He wanted to defend Jane, as they hadn't had a lot of time together to ask much of anything, but their conversations had always revolved around Asgard and her childish excitement of it. She had never seemed to wonder about how he had grown up with Loki, or his life before her, what he had done. Questions, he now realized that the Avengers had asked him as friends and Jane had not. Did that…mean anything?

Loki's head dropped back onto the bed and he moaned in pain, hands touching his stomach and then drawing back quickly as if the lightest touch was unbearable. Thor moved the torn shirt he wore entirely, leaving him in just his leather pants. "Let us not speak of Jane anymore," he whispered, mostly because he had a lot to think about, things that he had just never noticed and now made him wonder. "Loki, sleep, please."

"You know, Thor, you should probably sleep too," Tony pointed out. "You're looking just as bad as he is and you were tortured."

Now that it was pointed out, he was beginning to feel his exhaustion and he eased himself over his brother's body, becoming a buffer between Loki and the wall. Loki grumbled, his eyes sliding closed at being jostled, but perhaps it was because he was in so much pain that he didn't argue when Thor slid his arm under his neck as a pillow.

"…I didn't really mean cuddle him, but that works…" the genius muttered.

He began to slip into sleep as he heard Volstagg comment that they should send someone quiet to patrol the house and make sure no guards had found it.


End file.
